3. Humbling Ourselves and Being Exalted


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Free E-mail Bible Study Bible study Humility: Disciple's Guide to a Humble Life

Titian, 'John the Baptist' (1540), oil on canvas, 79 x 52 in, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
Titian, 'John the Baptist' (1540), oil on canvas, 79 x 52 in, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

John the Baptist preaches in the deserted places along the Jordan River calling for repentance.

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2)

"Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him."
(Mark 1:3, quoting Isaiah 40:3)

Thousands come from all over Judea to the river to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. One who comes is Jesus of Nazareth.

After his baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus, too, takes up the call:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17)

Repent of what? Repent of resisting God in our selfishness and pride that exalts itself over God.

3.1 Pride as Self-Exaltation

God rightly inhabits a place of exaltation. It is part of who he is. We read about:

"The greatness of your majesty."96 (Exodus 15:7)

"The splendor of his majesty!"97 (Isaiah 2:10)

"The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty"98 (Psalm 93:1)

In each of these verses, the noun is gāʾôn, "exaltation" or gēʾût, "majesty," both of which derive from the verb gāʾâ, "rise up, be exalted." God is majestic, exalted. Isaiah shares a vision:

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high99 and exalted,100 and the train of his robe filled the temple." (Isaiah 6:1)

It shouldn't surprise us that the Hebrew word often translated "pride" is also gāʾôn, "exaltation." In biblical terms, pride is essentially exalting oneself to a high place that belongs to God himself.

"Pride101 goes before destruction,
a haughty102 spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)

"A man's pride103 brings him low,104
but a man of lowly spirit105 gains honor." (Proverbs 29:23)

"I will put an end to the arrogance106 of the haughty107
and will humble108 the pride109 of the ruthless." (Isaiah 13:11b)

Some see Satan's fall typified in Isaiah's poetic description of the King of Babylon.110

Gustav Doré, 'Satan Descends upon Earth' (1866), engraving, illustration for Milton's Paradise Lost.
Gustav oré, 'Satan Descends upon Earth' (1866), engraving, illustration for Milton's Paradise Lost.

"How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star ("Lucifer," KJV), son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
'I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.'
15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Satan as portrayed in the New Testament has set himself up as God's adversary and arch enemy, a proud rebel against the God of the Universe.

Pride is also the chief sin of Adam and Eve. Satan tells Eve:

"When you eat of [the apple] your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5)

In spite of God's command, our forebears ate from the apple. When we knowingly disobey God, we are effectively saying: I know better than God what is good for me. I am smarter than God.

This is the basic sin, exalting myself to be my own god. It is appropriate that God the Creator and Source of all is exalted. But when we exalt themselves over what God says, we are in deep trouble.

Chair Illustration
"Chair Illustration"111 Larger image.

That's the whole point of the "chair illustration" we examined in Lesson 1.6.4. Who is seated on the throne of our life is very much a matter of pride or humbling ourselves. Indeed, it is the central issue.

With this backdrop we can begin to appreciate John the Baptist's and Jesus' call:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17)

Part of Jesus' central message is for us to repent of our sins. That sounds very much the same as "Humble yourself before God."

Q12. What is the basic sin that drives all other sins? Why is it so important who is truly in charge of your life? Why are repentance and humbling so vital?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2281-q12-self/

Jesus' Two Core Teachings about Humility

With this background, let's turn to the Gospels to see what Jesus taught about pride and humility. As previously mentioned, Jesus repeatedly teaches two core messages about humility that we'll examine in this lesson and the next.

  1. God will humble those who exalt themselves and exalt those who humble themselves (this lesson, repeated at least 3 times).
  2. The greatest in the Kingdom of God are those who humbly serve others (Lesson 4, repeated 4 times).

What astounded me when I first discovered this, was that these teachings are not one-offs. Each of them is repeated multiple times, not counting the parallels in the Synoptic Gospels! Anything you repeat twice is important. Three or four times is a huge exclamation point.

I'll begin by sketching out the instances where Jesus teaches that we must humble ourselves before God or be humbled, and that he will exalt those who humble themselves. After this brief look, we'll delve into each of these incidents more deeply.

1. Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In Jesus' Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, he compares the Pharisee's pride with the tax collector's humility and says,

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:14b)

2. Woes against the Scribes and Pharisees. In the passage on Jesus' woes against the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23), Jesus rebukes them severely. Notice that here we see both of Jesus' two main themes combined.

"11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12, ESV)

3. Taking the Better Seat. In Jesus' Parable of the Places at the Table, where the host promotes someone to a more honored spot at the table, causing the former guest to find a less-desired seat among seats that remain, Jesus says:

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:11)

A fourth instance in the Parable of Becoming Like Little Children isn't quite as clear, but contains some of the elements of Jesus teaching.

"3 I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4)

Jesus takes advantage of several incidents of out-and-out pride and self-advancement to teach about actively humbling oneself. Next, let's look at each of these in greater detail.

3.2 Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

ames J. Tissot, 'The Pharisee and the Publican' (1886-96), gouache on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum, New York
James J. Tissot, 'The Pharisee and the Publican' (1886-96), gouache on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum, New York.

Perhaps the most revealing of Jesus' teachings on the need to humble oneself is his Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector -- a great study in contrasts.

"9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.'" (Luke 18:9-10)

Pharisees (as we saw in Lesson 2.5) were a sect of Judaism, known for their strictness in observing both the Torah and the Oral Law. They were seen as pious by the people.

On the other hand, tax collectors (KJV "publicans") assessed taxes for the hated Romans. They were despised because they were considered both traitors to the nation and commonly assessed more taxes than they were due. They cheated.

Jesus tells this parable because the Pharisees tended to "look down on" (NIV) everyone else as unrighteous. They "treated others with contempt" (ESV).112 You've seen this kind of disdain. It's kind of like the mutual disdain that sometimes exists between Protestants and Catholics, progressive Christians and fundamentalists, evangelicals and Pentecostals, residents of a community and the homeless or illegal aliens. You get the picture.

Jesus has introduced the characters, now he sets the figures into action.

"11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'" (Luke 18:11-12)

The entire prayer is about himself. He thanks God -- not for blessings -- but that he isn't a sinner like others. He reminds God of how pious he is -- fasting and tithing. As Jesus tells the story, I can almost hear a ripple of laughter sweep over the crowd. They recognize the type of Pharisee Jesus is describing and are amused. Jesus' description might have been a slight caricature, but not too much of a stretch. Now Jesus turns to the other person in the temple.

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'" (Luke 18:13)

Notice the tax collector's posture. Jesus describes three kinds of body language:

  1. Standing at a distance. He doesn't feel worthy to draw close to God or the temple.
  2. Not raising his eyes to heaven, but standing with head level or bowed, as a sign of his sense of guilt.
  3. Beating his breast as a sign of mourning.113 (See Appendix 3. Ways the Jews Humbled Themselves.)

The tax collector's prayer is remarkable and short. He addresses God, just as the Pharisee has done. Next, he describes himself to God as a sinner.114 He makes no excuses for his behavior, offers no mitigating circumstances. He confesses his sinfulness before God and takes full responsibility for it.

Finally, he asks for mercy.115 For this tax collector to ask for forgiveness is a bold and faith-filled act for a man so despised by his society. He is obviously humble and repentant of his sins, but faith has made him bold to ask for something that he has no right to expect -- forgiveness and restoration before God.

Jesus has laid out the situation, the parable. Now he renders judgment.

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified116 before God." (Luke 18:14a)

The Pharisees who hear this must be livid with anger. The crowd is amazed, wondering, pondering. But the prostitutes and tax collectors, thieves and adulterers in the audience may be weeping, for Jesus has declared that it is possible for them to be saved, to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be justified before God. Jesus had given them hope.

Now comes the application of the parable, the point, the meaning, the punchline:

"For everyone who exalts117 himself will be humbled,118
and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:14b)

Jesus highlights a paradox of the spiritual life -- exalting oneself leads to humbling, while humbling leads to exaltation. Jesus' brother James carries on this theme when he says: "... But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" (James 4:6; Lesson 3.8) When we are proud, we make ourselves into God's opponent, his enemy. When we humble ourselves, he immerses us in his grace, his undeserved, unearned favor.

Q13. (Luke 18:9-14) How does the Pharisee in this parable exalt himself? How do comparison and looking down on others reflect pride? How does the tax collector humble himself? Jesus says that the tax collector is "justified before God." Is deep repentance or humbling oneself before God necessary for salvation? Does repentance have anything to do with faith or "believing in Jesus"?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2282-q13-pharisee-and-publican/

3.3 Jesus' Rebuke of Grand Titles (Matthew 23:11-12)

As we considered in Lesson 2.5, Jesus' denunciation of the Pharisees and scribes that comprises most of Matthew 23 provides a stark contrast with the humble behavior Jesus seeks to teach his disciples. In one of these denunciations, Jesus castigates those who love to exalt themselves with grand titles.

"They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi'...." (Matthew 23:7)

This love of public attention flows from pride. Jesus contrasts self-vaunting with simple humility.

"8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ." (Matthew 23:8-10)

The point Jesus is making is not that a particular title is wrong, but what is in the heart. He points to the pride of men who bask in honor and adulation. Pride that gets puffed up by the honorary titles and people fussing over them. Jesus concludes,

"11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12, ESV)119

(Note that Jesus' two main themes about humility are combined here -- (1) humbling oneself, and (2) that the greatest will be one who serves, the theme that we'll explore in Lesson 4).

As we discussed in Lesson 3.1 above, finding ways to promote and exalt ourselves is core to pride. As we'll see here, rather than be self-promoters, Jesus calls on us to humble ourselves. This has a lot of applicability to us today.

When I was a young man, a Jerusalem-born evangelist and teacher Costa Dier (1921-1998) came to the small congregation where I worshiped in Los Angeles. He was welcomed to the pulpit with a flattering introduction as a "great man of God," in keeping with his legendary reputation in our church's circles. When he stood up, he uttered a mild public rebuke that I'll never forget:

"Don't introduce me as a 'great man of God.' Rather introduce me as a 'man of a great God.'"

This powerful Christian leader immediately humbled himself, deflected praise from himself toward God, and taught me something enduring about flattery and pride. (More on flattery in Lesson 5.5.1.)

Introductions are important to properly "frame" the speaker so that people are aware of the speaker's accomplishments and thus be able to judge the speaker's degree of authority. A good introduction sets the speaker up to be received well by the audience. But a flattering introduction is both cringe-worthy and so over-the-top that people will often sense it and discount it. Truth not flattery is important for all parties -- the introducer, the speaker, and the audience.

Remember, my friends, don't love it when people exalt you. Remain humble. Humble yourself when that is called for. It is God's exaltation that counts, not man's.

Social Hierarchy and Titles

Jesus teaches,

"You have only one Master and you are all brothers." (Matthew 23:8b)

Is Jesus doing away with all social hierarchy in his new Kingdom? I don't think so.

Let's look for a moment at social hierarchy. A normal society doesn't flatten the hierarchy. Except for subsistence farmers who own their own land, most societies have employers and employees, owners and tenants, those who lead and govern and normal citizens. You have laws and judges. You have high priests, regular priests, Levites, and lay worshippers -- popes, cardinals, bishops, and priests. Titles are functional.

Even in the renewed Kingdom of God, the apostles and saints will be judges120 and the believers will "rule and reign with Christ," that is, serve in his Kingdom's administrative structure.121

Jesus isn't challenging social hierarchy here. Rather, he is challenging pride and self-exaltation. And he challenges the thought that one person is somehow better than another.

Titles as Sources of Pride

If you are a literalist, you might strictly avoid the titles of rabbi, father, and teacher (verses 8-10), but that misses the point. I don't think Jesus is against titles per se,122 but against using titles to exalt ourselves in the eyes of others or in our own sense of self-worth.

One of my own struggles with pride has been my motivation about being called "Doctor." In my denomination, a Master of Divinity (MDiv) is the standard academic requirement for ordination. After graduation from seminary, I was called to serve a small congregation about 25 miles (39 km) from the seminary. I love to learn, so I continued to take classes as I was able and after a few years earned a Doctor of Ministry degree (DMin).

But now I had a dilemma. How should I use the title of "doctor." What were my motives? By preceding my name with "Doctor," was I exalting myself or helping to advance the congregation I served? Did I have people call me "doctor" or "pastor"? And why? There's no right answer to these questions. I had to work through my motives and see how to present myself in my particular situation.

Of course, this isn't just my struggle. You can take pride in any title you might have: Head Usher, Deacon, Reverend, Pastor, Vicar, Rector, Bishop, Cardinal, Pope, Evangelist, Apostle, Elder, Sunday School Teacher/Superintendent, Pastor's Secretary/Administrative Assistant. My dear friends, we must all watch our hearts carefully!

"11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12, ESV)

Jesus calls us to focus on service, not greatness, on humbling ourselves, not seeking people to puff up our ego.

Q14. (Matthew 23:7-12) Why do the Pharisees love to be called "Rabbi." How can titles and recognition exalt our pride? When people fail to recognize our work or accomplishments, why does it hurt? How much of our motivation is to puff up our ego? In the area of seeking recognition and praise, how can we meaningfully humble ourselves?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2283-q14-titles/

3.4 Parable of Places at the Table (Luke 14:7-11)

James J. Tissot, 'The Meal in the House of the Pharisee' (1886-94)
James J. Tissot, 'The Meal in the House of the Pharisee' (1886-94), gouache on gray wove paper, Brooklyn Museum, New York.

As I mentioned above, Jesus repeats his teaching on humility to be sure that his disciples get the point.

Jesus has been invited to a Sabbath meal at the home of a prominent Pharisee who, no doubt, invites him because he is famous, though the Pharisee's ulterior motive is to try to catch Jesus in some error as a way of increasing his own status among his fellow Pharisees (Luke 14:1).

The text says, "he was being carefully watched" (Luke 14:1). But Jesus was watching his hosts and guests as well, particularly the social-climbing that was going on.

"When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable...." (Luke 14:7)

Picking the Best Places for Yourself (Luke 14:8-9)

I suppose it isn't nice to criticize your host and his guests. But Jesus' mission surpasses social norms. Jesus begins a teaching. We call it the Parable of the Places at the Table since the text describes the teaching with the word parabolē.

"8 When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place." (Luke 14:8-9)

Where one sits in relation to the host is an indication of one's social status.123 At a Jewish meal, the most coveted place seems to be at the head end of the table or the middle of the middle couch.124

Taking the Lowest Place (Luke 14:10-11)

Jesus has painted the picture. Now he draws conclusions from it.

"10 When you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:10-11)

Jesus recommends to the group that they should deliberately take a more humble spot. This is one way that you can humble yourself. Then you might be happily surprised when the host asks you to move closer to him.

However, it is not just a dinner host who might humble you, Jesus is saying, but God himself who might humble you -- or exalt you.

3.5 The Parable of Becoming Like Children (Matthew 18:1-4)

Tiffany Studios, 'Christ and the Children' (1911), stained glass, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA.
Tiffany Studios, 'Christ and the Children' (1911), stained glass, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA.

Jesus sometimes uses children to illustrate humility from various points of view. We'll examine three passages that teach humbling.

  1. Becoming like children by humbling ourselves (Matthew 18:1-4),
  2. Welcoming and receiving the least important in society as an act of humility (Mark 9:35), and
  3. Allowing the little children to come (Matthew 19:13-15)

In Jesus' teachings involving children we see several lessons taught about humility, so it is a bit harder to classify them. But we'll take them as Jesus told them.

In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus emphasizes the importance of actively becoming like little children by humbling ourselves.

"1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'

2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" (Matthew 18:1-4)

Pride can prevent a person from entering the Kingdom. Jesus is saying that a person needs to repent -- "Unless you change or turn...."125 And then he uses as pair of similes (with "like" or "as," a very basic kind of comparison126) to explain what he means by two actions:

  1. "Become like little children" (verse 3)
  2. "Humble himself like this child" (verse 4)

First, Jesus says they must "become127 like little children." Is it childlike simplicity? Is it childlike innocence?128 Is it child-like faith? As we see in verse 4, Jesus makes it explicit: it is childlike humility he is talking about. The Bible does not talk about childlike faith but rather about childlike humility. Children were considered low in social status in Jesus' day, only important within their own families.

Second, he explains what he means: a person must "humble129 himself like this child." Humility before God is necessary for salvation, to "enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Arrogant, self-proud people can't be saved unless they can humble themselves before God, confess their sins, put their faith in him, and turn toward him as Lord. Of course, this isn't a one-time thing; humility to both God and others continues as part of the sanctification process. Jesus concludes this parable:

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4)

The disciples had been arguing about who was greatest. Here's the answer. In Jesus' Kingdom humility reigns; the must humble are the greatest. Talk about a paradox!

Q15. (Matthew 18:1-4) In what way does "becoming like little children" require us to humble ourselves before God?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2284-q15-like-children/

3.6 Jesus' Teaching about Welcoming Low-Status People

Jesus has three teachings about the importance of humbling ourselves by receiving, welcoming, and honoring low-status people.

  1. The Acted Parable of Welcoming Children (Mark 9:35),
  2. Allowing the Children to Come to Him (Matthew 19:13-15), and
  3. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46).

We'll examine Jesus' teaching here, but come back to this subject in Lesson 7.4.

3.6.1 Jesus' Acted Parable of Welcoming Children (Mark 9:36-37)

In a passage related to the Parable of Becoming Like Children (Section 3.5 above),130 Jesus employs little children to illustrate humbling oneself by welcoming and receiving the lowest in society. (We'll also consider this passage in Lesson 4.4, since it teaches the greatness of serving.)

The incident begins with the disciples bickering about who is the greatest. Jesus sits down and calls his disciples over. Their constant jockeying for position needs to be stopped; they need to learn humility. As they gather, Jesus brings a little child over to join them.

"36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.'" (Mark 9:36-37)

In Luke's telling of the incident, Jesus adds,

"For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." (Luke 9:48)

Jesus embraces the little child. But Jesus says that welcoming, receiving, greeting a lowly child is akin to welcoming, receiving, greeting Jesus himself. We need to humble ourselves, not go around with a big head about how we're too important to welcome a child!

In the midst of his disciples' squabbling about who is greatest, Jesus places a little child with no power and status, and says, "If you want to be first, you must humble yourself to show love and importance to someone as insignificant as this little child!" Jesus "welcomes" or "receives"131 children and everyone else with love, not to enhance himself by associating himself with people of status, but to serve them with love and recognition.

3.6.2 Allowing the Children to Come to Him (Matthew 19:13-15)

This is similar to another incident. The disciples are serving as crowd control because lots of people are pushing to get to Jesus. They are upset when little children are getting in front of adults.

"13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there." (Matthew 19:13-15)

Humility requires us not to show partiality towards "important people" and neglect the poor, as James teaches in James 2:1-9 (Lesson 7.4).

We often resist welcoming and embracing low-status people, especially people from different cultures and races, or the poor and homeless. We may be cordial on the surface, but it can be difficult for us to truly welcome them joyfully from our hearts. Part of the humility Jesus seeks to teach his disciples involves welcoming the outcast and sinner as well as the needy, for that is what he and his Father do to this very day and would like to do through you and me.

Who are the lowest in our society? We are to embrace them like Jesus did the children.

3.6.3 Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

In Jesus' Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), the "sheep" aren't afraid of getting their hands dirty with the lowest of the low -- the hungry and thirsty, the alien from a foreign land whom they invite into their homes, those without clothing whom they find clothing for. They visit the social rejects in prison, the unhealthy and smelly who are sick. (We'll consider this parable again in Lesson 4.5, where we explore Jesus' teaching on humbly serving the needy, but I mention it here because it relates to who we receive and welcome.)

Paul applies this truth when he exhorts the Roman believers:

"Do not be proud,132 but be willing to associate133 with people of low position.134 Do not be conceited."135 (Romans 12:16, see Lesson 7.4).

Of course, this same principle applies to Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners (Lesson 2.2).

Will we be willing to associate with the poor for Jesus' sake, or are we too conceited to lower ourselves?

Q16. (Mark 9:36-37; Matthew 19:13-15; Matthew 25:31-46). What does welcoming and associating with low-status people have to do with humbling ourselves? Where do the people in your community live who are the poorest economically? Who are somewhat isolated from the rest of the community because of their language or national origin? How do you and your church reach out to them? What could you do?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2285-q16-association/

3.7 Trusting God to Exalt Us

We've examined the first part of Jesus' teaching, that we need to humble ourselves or God will humble us. Now we turn to the second part, that God will exalt those who humble themselves.

"Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12b)
"He who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:11b)
"He who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:14b)

James and Peter include this teaching also:

"He will lift you up." (James 4:10)
"That he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6b)

Of course, atheists poke fun at the Christian hope of heaven and Christ's coming. And some believers are out of balance with a completely other-worldly look at life. Nevertheless, we have great promises, beginning in the Old Testament and extending into the New Testament.

Old Testament Expectant Hope

We see the idea of patiently waiting especially in Isaiah, Psalms, and Lamentations, urging patience for God to restore Israel after the shock of the Exile.

"They who wait[136 for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31, ESV)

"I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13-14)137

New Testament Hope

Luke's Gospel begins with Mary's prophetic "Magnificat" that recounts how God has kept his promises to lift up the humble and poor.

"52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty." (Luke 1:52-53)

In the New Testament, the hope shifts from the restoration of earthly Zion, Jerusalem, to the final coming Kingdom of God on the Last Day when Christ shall return and set everything right. Once in Jesus' teaching, you see a promise of exaltation in this life (Mark 10:30), but mostly it is future exaltation. The theme continues in the epistles of Paul and James.138

If you have any lingering question if exalting the humble is a major theme in Jesus' teaching, you need only to turn again to the Beatitudes (Lesson 1.3), where you find the clear theme of the present reality vs. how God will turn the tables completely in the future. See especially verses 3 and 5.

"3 Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven....
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:3, 5)

Jesus is clearly looking forward to a future day, the Day of the Lord, the Day of his Second Coming, when he will judge the world and its values and exalt his people.

Ugly Jealous Pride

When I was in college, I began to lead songs with my guitar at the small church I attended in downtown Los Angeles. I enjoyed it and learned how to help the congregation worship. During Spring Break one year, several young men my age traveled together to Waco, Texas for the annual gathering of churches in our fellowship.

I remember sitting near the back of a large auditorium. Leading the worship was a man named Doyle Brymer (1927-2021), a missionary in Mexico. He didn't seem to be leading very much, just singing with his eyes closed, intent on Jesus. I thought in my heart, "I could do a better job than that." It was at that moment that God revealed the envious, wicked pride of my heart. God broke me! I began to weep uncontrollably in deep shame and repentance -- and wept for the next half hour.

That was the beginning of God breaking my pride. He has had to do a lot of work on me since then. But he is teaching me that everything I have is a gift from him, not something I can take credit for. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 5:10, KJV). Later, he did lift me up and allowed me to lead songs for larger gatherings, but not until he had humbled me.

3.8 Humility and Submission to God (James 4:6-10)

Icon of James the Just, from OrthodoxWiki.org
Icon of James the Just, from OrthodoxWiki.org

Let's conclude this lesson by studying James' interpretation of Jesus' teaching on humbling yourself and being exalted by the Lord. James is Jesus' step-brother who becomes the leader of the Church of Jerusalem. In his Letter, he warns people who want to be friends with the world that such a friendship makes them God's enemies. Now he turns to the subject of repentance and humility.

"6b That is why Scripture says:

    'God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.' [quoting from Proverbs 3:34]

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:6b-10)

James takes the words of his quotation from Proverbs 3:34 (resist/oppose, proud/humble) and uses them in an exhortation about sin. Since we're studying the temptations of pride, self-exaltation, and living our lives without God's direction, let's consider those sins particularly.

1. "Submit yourselves, then, to God" (verse 7a). Here's the general principle. To "submit oneself"139 means to come into voluntary obedience to a person, to bend your will to that person's. If you've been proud, you need to voluntarily (not only under duress) bend your will to God's will.

2. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (verse 7b). The word means "be in opposition to, set oneself against, oppose."140 Our problem too often is that we are double-minded, clinging both to our selfish desires and a desire to please God. We must clearly take a stand against the devil and at the same time let go of the desire that gives him power over us.141 Resisting the devil means to stop flirting with his temptations. To say "no" to him and "yes" to God. The promise is: "He will flee142 from you." As Martin Luther put it in his great hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" -- "... a little word can fell him."

3. "Come near to God, and he will come near to you" (verse 8a). Pride seeks to keep God at arm's length. I'll do it myself! So resisting the devil (the negative) is followed by drawing near to God (the positive), resolving our double-minded condition.

There's a promise in this verse, too. If we will draw near to God, that is, turn our wills to doing his will, then he will draw near to us, empowering us to follow him, and often, giving us a sense of his presence.

4. "Wash your hands and purify your hearts" (verse 8b). Much like John the Baptist's and Jesus' call to people to repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand -- to humble ourselves before God -- James commands us sinners to "wash your hands." He tells us to "purify our hearts." Of course, God is the only one who can cleanse us, but we must do our part. Isaiah spoke the words of God to his generation:

"Your hands are full of blood;
wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong, learn to do right...." (Isaiah 1:15-17)

Washing one's hands is another way of saying, "repent," stop doing wrong. In Revelation we see a multitude in heaven wearing white robes and praising God. One of the Elders tells who this group is: "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

"Purify your hearts, you double-minded" (verse 8b) is the second part of this directive. We must stop doing wrong (wash our hands), and then turn our wills decisively to God's will (purify our hearts).

On Mount Carmel, Elijah challenged the people: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). The double-mindedness must go. We must decide which way to go and turn to it wholeheartedly, as the Psalmist cried, "Unite my heart" (KJV, Psalm 86:11), "Give me an undivided heart" (NIV). No longer is our will divided, but now our will is "integrated" with our faith and love for God, and we gain "integrity" again.

5. "Grieve, mourn, and wail" (verse 9). True sorrow for sin and overweening pride is not being sorry that you were caught, but sorry that your heart was so hard that you could commit this affront to God.

6. "Humble yourselves before the Lord (verse 10a). James now sums it up. "Humble yourselves!" As we saw in Lesson 1.6.4, the word "humble" is Greek tapeinoō, which literally means "lower, make low" and figuratively, "to cause to be or become humble in attitude, humble, make humble" in a favorable sense.143

James has been talking in this chapter about roots of pride and an independent spirit within us: selfishness, hedonism, flirting with sin, spiritual pride that thinks we know better than God what's good for us. The antidote is to recognize our rebellions as foolishness, acknowledge them ("confession"), turn from them ("repentance"), and come before God again as his humble servants, rather than his independent-minded subjects. "Humble yourselves!" is a command. It requires submission to God -- and an ongoing humility in contrast to a life lived in rebellion against God.

7. "He will lift you up" (verse 10b). The second half of this command is a promise we also find in Jesus' teaching (Lesson 3.7 above) and Peter's teaching:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift144 you up in due time" (1 Peter 5:6, see Lesson 5.7)

This passage reminds me of a Scripture praise chorus popular in the 1970s. It comes from the KJV of James' teaching and it summarizes and echoes Jesus' own teaching to his disciples.

Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord,
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord,
And He shall lift you up,
Higher and higher,
And He shall lift you up.145

Q17. (James 4:6-10) In what way does pride make God your opponent? (vs. 6)? What does submission to God have to do with humility? How do we "wash our hands and purify our hearts"? (vs. 8b) What does that require us to do? Why does humbling have to precede God lifting us up?
https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2286-q17-humbling/

Walking Humbly with our God (Micah 6:8)

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly146 with your God." (Micah 6:8)

When we first come to God in conversion, we humble ourselves before God. But we humans have untamed, rebellious hearts that, especially early in our Christian lives, need taming, rebuking. "Walking humbly" is an ongoing submission.

When I was a sophomore in college, my roommate was a fellow believer whose company I enjoyed. We laughed and joked a lot. But then we fell into the very bad habit of joking about holy things -- about the Lord's Supper, for example. I knew better, but I was caught up in it.

One night when I was studying quite late, I went down the hall to the restroom to rinse out my coffee cup. I set it on the narrow metal shelf below the mirror, but I must have bumped it and it fell into the porcelain sink below. Somehow -- and to this day I do not know how -- it broke before it hit the sink. I tried to grab it, and cut my left thumb rather deeply.

Humility: Disciple's Guide to a Humble Life, by Ralph F. Wilson
Paperback, PDF, and Kindle formats

I wrapped my bleeding thumb, and as I was walking up to the college infirmary near my dorm, I asked God why this had happened. Immediately, I saw in my mind's eye my mocking of holy things. I was shocked. The nurse closed the wound with butterfly bandages, wrapped me up, and sent me back to the dorm, but I was never the same in two ways:

  1. Never again would I joke with my roommate about holy things. He accused me of being "holier than thou" and we were never as close again.
  2. My thumb healed, but a small white scar remains diagonally across my left thumb some sixty plus years later to remind me not to mock God, but rather to walk humbly before him.

Prayer

Father, so often we resist you and try in our own strength to be noticed and honored. Teach us to humble ourselves before You, to trust You to exalt us in this life to whatever level pleases You, and in the next life, exalt us to heaven where You live. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Lessons for Disciples

Jesus' teaching on humbling yourself before God and trusting God to lift you up is found throughout the Gospels.

  1. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17) is much the same message as, "Humble yourself, or you will be humbled."
  2. God our Creator is rightly exalted. In biblical terms, pride is essentially exalting oneself to a high place that belongs to God.
  3. Pride seems to be both Satan's sin (Isaiah 14:12-15) and Adam's sin (Genesis 3:4-5).
  4. Jesus gives two core teachings about humility: (1) God will humble those who exalt themselves, and exalt those who humble themselves. (2) The greatest in the Kingdom of God are those who humbly serve others. Jesus repeats each of these multiple times.
  5. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) provide an illustration that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and vice versa.
  6. Jesus rebukes grand, self-exalting titles (Matthew 23:11-12), saying that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, etc.
  7. The Parable of Places at the Table (Luke 14:7-11) illustrates how social climbers risk being humiliated, repeating this teaching and advising taking the lowest place, so that you may be lifted up by your host.
  8. Using children as examples, Jesus teaches that we must humble ourselves as children are humble, if we desire to enter the Kingdom (Matthew 18:1-4).
  9. Welcoming and receiving the least important in society is an act of humility (Mark 9:35).
  10. Permitting socially unimportant children access to Jesus also requires the disciples to humble themselves (Matthew 19:13-15).
  11. Jesus' Parable of the Sheep and the Goats also teaches the importance of humbling oneself to care for the lowest and neediest in society (Matthew 25:31-46).
  12. The first part of the teaching is: Humble yourself, or you will be humbled. The second part is: Whoever humbles himself will be exalted by God.
  13. The theme of waiting on the Lord to renew our strength and deliver us finds roots in the Old Testament prophets, runs through the Magnificat (Luke 1:52-52) and Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), to waiting patiently for Christ's coming.
  14. Like Jesus, James 4:6-10 teaches submitting to God, resisting the devil, and repenting. He concludes: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

End Notes

References and Abbreviations

[96] Gāʾôn, "exaltation" (TWOT #299e), from the verb gāʾâ, "rise up, be exalted."

[97] Gāʾôn, "exaltation" (TWOT #299e).

[98] Gēʾût, "majesty" (TWOT #299f), from gāʾâ, "to rise up, be exalted."

[99] Qal participle of rûm, "to be high" (TWOT #2133.

[100] Niphal of nāśāʾ, "be exalted" (Holladay, p. 247; Niphal 3).

[101] Gāʾôn, "exaltation" (TWOT #299e).

[102] Gōbah, "height, exaltation" (TWOT #305b), from gābah, "be high, exalted."

[103] "Pride" is gaʾăwâ, "majesty, pride" (TWOT #299d), from gāʾâ, "rise up, be exalted."

[104] "Low" (NIV, ESV, KJV), "humiliation" (NRSV) is shāpēl, "be low, be humbled" (TWOT #2445).

[105] "Lowly spirit" (NIV; cf. ESV, NRSV), "humble in spirit" (KJV) is two words: rûaḥ, "spirit, wind"); and shāpāl, "low, humble" (TWOT #2445c), from shāpēl, "be low, be humbled."

[106] Gāʾôn, "exaltation," (TWOT #299e).

[107] Zēd, "proud, arrogant" (TWOT #547a).

[108] Shāpēl, "be low, sink, be humbled" (TWOT #2445).

[109] Gaʾăwâ, "majesty, pride" (TWOT #299d).

[110] Kidner sees taking Isaiah 14 with Ezekiel 28 to tell of the revolt of Satan "a precarious conjecture," since the main similarities of the "tale of pride and downfall" are what is said of Satan in Luke 10:18 and 1 Timothy 3:6; cf. Revelation 12:9-12 (F. Derek Kidner, "Isaiah," in NBC, p. 643). Whether or not this poetic passage in Isaiah speaks of Satan himself, it helps clarify the path of self-exaltation and pride of one who exalts himself to the place of God, rebelling against God.

[111] "Chair Illustration" from the "4 Spiritual Laws" by Bill Bright, © 1965-2013, CRU.

[112] The phrase "looked down on" (NIV), "treated/regarded with contempt" (ESV, NRSV), "despised" (KJV) is exoutheneō, "to show by one's attitude or manner of treatment that an entity has no merit or worth, disdain" (BDAG 352, 1).

[113] Gustav Stählin, pypto, TDNT 8:260-269, especially p. 262 n. 18 and p. 264. Josephus, Antiquities 7,10,5.

[114] Hamartōlos, "pertaining to behavior or activity that does not measure up to standard moral or cultic expectations, sinner" (BDAG 51, bα).

[115] Greek hilaskomai, "to cause to be favorably inclined or disposed, propitiate, conciliate." When used in the passive, of one addressed in prayer, "to act as one who has been conciliated, be propitiated, be merciful or gracious" (BDAG 473-474). I was expecting to see the common Greek word eleeō, "to be greatly concerned about someone in need, have compassion/mercy/pity on or for someone" (BDAG 315). The difference between the two words is significant. Hilaskomai calls for forgiveness from one who has been wronged, while eleeō asks for compassion and pity for one in tragic circumstances.

[116] Dikaioō, "justified," means "to render a favorable verdict, justify, vindicate, treat as just ... to be found in the right, be free of charges" (BDAG 249).

[117] "Exalt" is hypsoō, "to cause enhancement in honor, fame, position, power, or fortune, exalt" (BDAG 1045-1046).

[118] "Humbles/ed" is Greek tapeinoō, "to cause to be or become humble in attitude, 'humble, make humble" (BDAG 990).

[119] I see the two clauses in verse 11 and 12 as equal statements of how things are, without one being dependent upon the other. Probably the NIV's translation "for" at the beginning of verse 12 is too much here. The two verses are connected by the Greek particle de, translated variously as "for" (NIV), "and" (KJV), or not translated at all (ESV, NRSV, NJB, NASB). This is an extremely common particle, and can indicate simple continuation or contrast, "though the contrast is often scarcely discernable" (BDAG 213, 2). None of my commentaries even mentions the particle.

[120] Luke 22:29-30 = Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:1; Revelation 20:4-6.

[121] Revelation 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 1:6; 20:4, 6; Romans 8:17.

[122] I don't think Jesus is actually challenging the use of titles. Jesus designates twelve men as "apostles" (Mark 3:14; Acts 1:26) to distinguish them from his other disciples. We see the use of titles in the early church. Paul even mentions the desire to attain the role of "overseer" (1 Timothy 3:1). Paul tells us that he is "called to be an apostle" (Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; etc.) and is both zealous for (Romans 11:3; 2 Corinthians 11:5; 2 Timothy 1:11) and humble about this title (1 Corinthians 15:9).

[123] Green, Luke, p. 550.

[124] Marshall, Luke, p. 581 cites Strack and Billerbeck, IV:2, 618.

[125] "Change" (NIV, NRSV), "turn" (ESV), "be converted" (KJV) is strephō, "turn," here, "to experience an inward change, turn, change," "make a turn-about, turn around" (BDAG 948-949, 5).

[126] "Like" (NIV, ESV, NRSV), "as" (KJV) in verses 3 and 4 is hōs, used as a conjunction marking a point of comparison, "as," "if you do not become child-like..." (BDAG 1104, 2cβ).

[127] "Become" is ginomai, "be, become," here, "to experience a change in nature and so indicate entry into a new condition, become something" (BDAG 198, 5b).

[128] A careful study by Albrecht Oepke demonstrates that the principle of the innocence of children is alien to the Old Testament. True, children were not held responsible for sin even up to nine years of age, but the concept of the evil impulse is there from conception or birth. In Scripture, not until the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 14:20) does the idea of children's innocence even appear. And in Paul and other epistles, a much more common theme is that of the immaturity and inferiority of the child (1 Corinthians 3:1; 13:11; 14:20; Galatians 4:1, 3; Ephesians 4:14; Hebrews 5:13; 1 Peter 2:1-2), following the view of "foolishness" bound up in the heart of a child (Proverbs 22:15; 29:15) (Albrecht Oepke, paidon, TDNT 5:636-654).

[129] "Humbles himself" is tapeinoō, "to cause to be or become humble in attitude, humble, make humble" in a favorable sense (BDAG 990, 3).

[130] According to Throckmorton's Gospel Parallels, three Synoptic passages are parallel in §129, The Dispute about Greatness -- Matthew 18:1-5 = Mark 9:33-37 = Luke 9:46-48.

[131] "Welcomes" (NIV, NRSV), "receives" (ESV, KJV) in verses 37 and 38 is dechomai, "take, receive," here, "to be receptive of someone, receive, welcome, generally, especially of hospitality, "welcome someone into one's house" (BDAG 221, 3).

[132] "Proud" (NIV), "haughty" (ESV, NRSV), "mind high things" (KJV) are three words, ta hupsēla phronimountes.

[133] "Be willing to associate with" (NIV), "associate with" (ESV, NRSV), "condescend to" (KJV) is synapagō, "to join the company of others, associate with" (BDAG 965, 3).

[134] "People of low position" (NIV), "the lowly" (ESV, NRSV), "men of low estate" (KJV) is tapeinos, "pertaining to being of low social status or to relative inability to cope, lowly, undistinguished, of no account" (BDAG 989, 1).

[135] Phronimos para hetmois.

[136] "Wait for" (ESV) is the Qal of qāwâ, "wait, look for, hope." This root means to wait or to look for with eager expectation (John E. Hartley, TWOT #1994).

[137] Similar precious promises are found in Isaiah 30:18; Psalm 25:3, 5; Psalm 37:7, 34; 40:1; Psalm 130:5-8; Lamentations 3:25-26. God's humbling of proud Nebuchadnezzar and then restoring him to the throne seven years later is an example of God's sovereignty (Daniel 4:28-37; 5:18-21).

[138] For example, Romans 8:23-25; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; Titus 2:13; James 5:7-8, 10. These verses use the Greek noun elpis, "hope, expectation," and the Greek verbs elpizō, "hope for" and apekdechomai, "await eagerly."

[139] The Aorist passive imperative of hypotassō, "subject oneself, be subjected or subordinated, obey" (BDAG 1042, 1bβ).

[140] Anthistēmi, BDAG 80, 1a.

[141] Does the devil make you do it? Satan certainly tempted Jesus at the beginning of Jesus' ministry (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan dangled before Jesus perverted means to accomplish legitimate ends. Certainly, eating when he was hungry, gaining recognition as a spiritual leader, and reigning over the earth were part of Jesus' plan. But Jesus' way was a different way, a less direct method of achieving the same goals. Satan takes legitimate desires and twists them. The desire for sex, for example, can be twisted into pornography or sex outside of marriage. Good desire, wrong fulfillment. The desire to feed one's family can be fulfilled by stealing or by hard work. But work is not the easy way. The devil plays on our own desires (James 1:14-15) and tries to convince us that shortcuts will get us there better than the right way.

[142] Future middle indicative of pheugō, "to seek safety in flight, flee" (BDAG 1052, 1).

[143] Tapeinoō, BDAG 990, Aorist passive imperative.

[144] Future active indicative of hypsoō, literally, "to lift up, raise high," then, "to cause enhancement in honor, fame, position, power or fortune, exalt" (BDAG 1046, 2).

[145] "Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord," songwriter: Robert Byron Hudson, Maranatha Music, 1978. Based on James 4:10, KJV.

[146] "Humbly" is the Hiphil of ṣānaʿ, "be modest, humble" which occurs only here (TWOT #1939); "Live cautiously, carefully" (Holladay, p. 308).

[147] Thomas Nadelhoffer and Jennifer Cole Wright, "The Twin Dimensions of the Virtue of Humility: Low Self-Focus and High Other-Focus," Moral Philosophy, Vol. 5, Virtue and Character, Walter Sinnoff-Armstrong and Chjristian B. Miller (eds.), (MIT Press, 2017), p. 310.

Humility: Disciple's Guide to a Humble Life

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